A champion for patients/caregivers

Dr. Varadi was nominated and selected from a distinguished pool of health professionals, community advocates, and other immunization leaders for making a significant contribution to public health in South Carolina through her work in childhood immunization.

Dr. Varadi is a champion for vaccines for patients and their parents/caregivers. She educates parents about the importance of vaccines at prenatal visits and offers parents and caregivers Tdap and flu vaccine in her office to make sure they are protected. She also takes the time at sick visits to make sure children are up to date on their vaccines. Dr. Varadi is committed to dispelling misinformation about vaccines and is currently conducting a social media project where she posts reputable information about vaccines on her practice’s Facebook and Twitter pages. She has also participated in several initiatives to increase adolescent immunizations in her practice with excellent success.

Advocates who go the extra mile

Young children rely on the champions in their lives to keep them safe and healthy. Champions may be doctors and nurses who share scientifically accurate, up-to-date information about vaccines with parents. They may be advocates who go the extra mile to ensure that all children in their communities have access to vaccines. They may be public health professionals who work behind the scenes tracking immunization data, coordinating vaccine logistics, or developing public awareness campaigns. They may be parents who share their personal stories about vaccination with their communities.

When families, healthcare professionals, and public health officials work together, all children can be protected from serious and deadly vaccine-preventable diseases. Dr. Varadi is an inspiration to all of us who care about children’s health in South Carolina. We are pleased and honored to congratulate her on this well-deserved award.

We also would like to recognize the other nominees for the S.C. award, as they all are champions for childhood immunization in the Palmetto State. They are Dr. Deborah Greenhouse (Palmetto Pediatrics, Columbia, SC), Dr. Calvin James (Family Health Centers, Inc., Orangeburg, SC) and Dr. Hannah Wakefield (MUSC Department of Pediatrics, Charleston, SC). Congratulations to all nominees!

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to highlight the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and to celebrate the achievements of immunization programs in promoting healthy communities throughout the United States. Each year, during NIIW, communities across the U.S. celebrate the CDC Childhood Immunization Champions. These award recipients are being recognized for the important contributions they have made to public health through their work in childhood immunization.